“The Eternal God is your shelter; He holds you up in His everlasting arms.”
Deuteronomy 33:27a (VOICE)
Just Be Held ~ A beautiful message to remind us that God will never let go, no matter what.
“Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place. Not a tear is wasted, in time you’ll understand. He’s painting beauty from the ashes; Your life is in HIS hands.” ~ Just be held. (Casting Crowns)
“He reached down and drew me from the deep, dark hole where I was stranded, mired in the muck and the clay.
With a gentle hand, He pulled me out to set me down safely on a warm rock;
He held me until I was steady enough to continue the journey again.”
Psalm 40:2 (VOICE)
Have you ever been so low that “up” is the only way out? If you find yourself in a situation like that today, remember that God is the ROCK in your bedrock. No matter how deeply mired you are in life’s muck and the clay, He is right there beside you ~ ready to take your hand in His and lift you to higher ground. He sees each teardrop that streams down your cheeks and hears your cries for help. His love is greater than anything you are going through.
So go ahead and reach out to God’s gentle grasp. He will pull you out of that dark hole where you find yourself stranded, and set you down safely on a firm foundation. He will hold you there, wrapped in His divine embrace, until you are steady enough to continue on your journey again. In your weakness, He will be your strength.
Take comfort in knowing that He is the Rock at the bottom of your pit!
“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Savior; my God is my Rock in whom I find protection. He is my Shield, the Power that saves me, and my Place of Safety.” Psalm 18:2 (NLT)
“Be still,
be calm,
see,
and understand…
I am the True God.
Psalm 46:10 (VOICE)
If your mind is whirling with anxious thoughts, take time to simply be still in the presence of God, thanking Him that He is already in your future. Relax in the knowledge that He is in control of every detail of your life. The things you are worried about right at this moment will probably never happen, so why waste your time and energy with useless, tiresome fretfulness? You don’t have to pre-plan for every possible scenario. Your Heavenly Father knows the future, so go to Him with all your apprehensions and concerns and trust that He will equip you to handle whatever comes your way.
Quiet your mind and take in deep breaths of His indescribable Peace. Allow His holy presence to permeate your thoughts and calm your spirit. Notice how the knots in your stomach gradually dissolve as you place your trust completely in Him. Be confident that He is watching over your life, and know that He is with you every step of your journey. Give all your cares to Him and receive the precious treasure of His Peace. Simply be still…and know that He is God.
“Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.”
Psalm 7:15 – 16
Let’s face it. We all make mistakes at some point in our lives. And sometimes the deep pit in which we find ourselves is a result of our own doing. Improper judgment in relationships, mismanagement of finances, misuse of time, poor decisions about those with whom we associate, exploitation of power, substance abuse, gambling, adultery, lying, cheating, inappropriate media, etc.… can all lead to destruction in our lives.
Scoop by scoop, the hole gets deeper and deeper. Then when we wake up at the bottom of the slimy pit, which we dug with our own hands, we look up and try to blame God or others around us for our problems. We wonder why God would “allow” this pain and suffering we are experiencing. But the harsh reality is that our own decisions and actions caused the trouble in our lives. Our greatest difficulties are often a result of consequences we bring on ourselves.
If you find yourself at rock bottom due to ramifications of your own mistakes, there is a brilliant ray of hope shining brightly into the dismal abyss. Regardless of what you might have done to land in the depths of this destruction, God stands ready with arms wide open to grace you with His blessed redemption. His unfailing love and compassion for you is so great that you can never fall so far that you are out of His reach. He holds the deepest valleys in His mighty hands, and wherever you find yourself, He is there. Yes, He will sometimes allow you to suffer the consequences of your bad decisions, but He’s always ready to redeem your life once you call to Him for help.
There is no pit deep enough to outmatch God’s unfathomable love for you.
Lift up your arms to the Lord because He’s already waiting to pick you up. His eyes are full of grace, mercy, and compassion…not condemnation. Call to Him for help, and He will hear your cry. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38 -39
“I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.”
You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”
You, Lord, took up my case; You redeemed my life.”
Lamentations 3:55 – 58
Related Verses:
“For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” Lamentations 3: 31 – 33
“In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:17b
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Psalm 139:7 – 8
“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.” Psalm 71:20 – 21
“And they will go to others and say, ‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved. God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’ “ Job 33:27 – 28
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:2
Do you ever feel like your life is running on empty? It’s as though you don’t have the strength to face the next responsibility, or the next crisis, or even the next moment. This is especially true in certain seasons of life where the overwhelming trials and difficulties seem to be rolling in as constant as waves in the ocean. Your strength is zapped, and you feel so weak that you can’t imagine moving forward on your own power.
The great news is that God’s children have a constant and limitless power source. We can refuel our lives each moment of each day with God’s divine power. When we are totally empty of our own strength, we can become wholly filled and flooded full with God Himself!! He wants to fill your life to the brim with His grace and love. When we are strengthened with His Spirit in our inner being, we can do anything! (“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13) So if you feel empty and weak, pull into God’s “refueling station” and ask Him to fill you full of His heavenly “soul fuel.” There’s never a shortage, and it’s always free!
“But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9a (ERV)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father…I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14 – 19 (NIV)
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30 (KJV)
The Lord talked to Hagar. Mistreated, abused and rejected, Hagar was running away from her circumstances. She found herself alone in the desert feeling frightened, forgotten and weary from her journey. Yet, at her lowest point, the angel of the Lord appeared to her, calling her by name, and encouraged her…right in the middle of her wilderness.
Maybe you are in the midst of a “wilderness” in life. The path you are traveling seems rocky and desolate, littered with extreme difficulties. You feel that no one knows or cares about your dire circumstances. You are lonely and afraid, and perhaps you feel the only possible solution is to “run away” from your problems. The God Who Sees also cares about you. He sees you right where you are, and He knows about every tumultuous detail of your life. He knows your name…and your needs. Turn to Him for guidance and direction.
As for Hagar, the Lord instructed her to return to her owner, Sarai, and to submit to her authority. Notice that He didn’t remove Hagar from her circumstances, but He gave her guidance and encouragement on how to live the life she was destined for. He also promised to bless her for her obedience and encouraged her concerning the child she was carrying, Abram’s son. If Hagar had continued running, she and her unborn child would have met with certain disaster. God knew His plans for her life…and the life of her unborn son…, and He gave her specific instructions about how she should live.
This story is a great example of how God causes all things…even bad things…to work together for good. (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28) Hagar’s obedience brought God’s blessings upon her life. God also sees you in your wilderness, and He has a marvelous plan for your life. Listen to His instructions. Remember that “running away” is not the solution, and it often leads to sure disaster. Instead of running away…run into His arms and listen to His instructions. Your obedience to His plan will bring divine blessings upon your life. Remind yourself that “even in this place, God sees me and cares for me!”
“…I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14b
everyday encouragement 